Issues of systematization of English language teaching methodological terms and creation of a dictionary

Бюллетень науки и практики / Bulletin of Science and Practice

UDC 811.111'373.46'374:37.016                      

In recent years, reforms in education have created a foundation for researching the theoretical and practical aspects of educational and methodological knowledge. To provide quality education and foster well-rounded individuals, several modern methods have been employed in education, and based on these methods, several approaches reflecting our national identity have been developed and implemented.

The extensive reforms initiated in the education sector of Uzbekistan have promoted the demand for teaching and learning foreign languages. The introduction and study of new approaches and methods in foreign language teaching highlight the importance of understanding the content and essence of the terms and concepts used, bringing the task of researching educational methodological terms to the forefront. The main terms and concepts of foreign language teaching methodology and pedagogy are integrally connected with several disciplines, including philosophy, psychology, and applied linguistics, and are reinforced by the concepts of these fields. The study of terms used in teaching English as a foreign language is one of the priority areas, which has its classification and principles for creating specialized terminological dictionaries.

Literature review. E.G. Azimov, a Russian scholar who has contributed to the systematization of terms in language teaching and applied linguistics as well as the creation of specialized dictionaries, emphasizes that “there is a significant need to define the exact meanings of methodological terms in the theory and practice of language teaching (both theoretical and practical aspects), to elucidate their content, and to explain the meanings of new terms” [1].

“Lingvodidactic terms (comprising one or more lexical units) express a lingvodidactic concept as fully and precisely as possible. They adhere to the laws of general linguistics, namely the formation of words and the interaction of lexical units in syntactic constructions, and their meanings are defined within the context of specialized texts in foreign language teaching methodology (lingvodidactics)” [2].

The comparative analysis of the main methodological concepts and terms used in foreign and Russian lingvodidactics has been carried out in the “English-Russian Terminological Guide on Foreign Language Teaching Methodology” created by Russian scholars I.L. Kolesnikova and O.I. Dolgina [3].

In this context, Uzbek scholar Jamol Jalolov notes that “the Uzbek explanatory and associative dictionary of field-specific terms used in foreign language education is considered an extremely important resource” [4].

Several other scholars have developed explanations for foreign language teaching methodology and applied linguistics terminology, addressing issues of adequate translation, the systematization of these terms, and the principles of dictionary creation. Research Methodology. In the current era, the application of innovative approaches and methods in teaching foreign languages has prioritized the task of reforming the terminology of this field. Observations indicate that the diversity of data necessitates a systematic approach to the specialized dictionary, specifically requiring the examination of terms that fall under the terminological units of the field of educational methodology as a terminological system.Terminological systematization aids in finding solutions to the issues of adequate translation of certain terms used in foreign language teaching methodology, as well as creating opportunities for their semantic study. This research highlights the significance of systematization in terminology, emphasizing that it plays a crucial role in the creation of a dictionary of specialized terms, namely educational methodological terms. Our primary goal is to review the sections of dictionaries of terms used in teaching English as a foreign language and to establish the principles for forming a specialized dictionary. To comprehensively illuminate the phenomenon of educational and methodological terminology, it is necessary to clarify the concept of a “terminological system.” Like any system, a terminological system adheres to the same operational rules as other systems. In this regard, it is advisable to start the discussion of the terminology phenomenon with a general definition of the system. According to L. L. Nelyubin’s definition, a system is 1. A whole object is composed of interrelated elements. The elements of a system possess the property of inseparability from the point of view of the system they belong to. The sum of the connections and relationships between the elements of the system constitutes its structure. 2. A collection of linguistic and semantic units that are in a specific relationship with each other [5]. Professor L. L. Nelyubin’s definitions undoubtedly clarify that this system consists of interrelated elements with a clear structure of connections and relationships, inseparable from one another and the elements of other systems.

A systematic approach to terminology allows for the consideration of educational and methodological terminology as an integrated terminological system. Thus, it becomes evident that one of the main and most important requirements for a term is its univocality. The existence of only one meaning for a term significantly facilitates understanding among specialists in a particular subject area and correspondingly simplifies the task of the specialized text translator. To study the development laws of the educational-methodological dictionary as a terminological system, it is important to consider its composition in terms of interaction with other terminological systems. In the systematization of educational methodological terms, it is necessary to take into account the specific characteristics of English-Uzbek educational methodological terms. This ensures that theorists and practitioners involved in language teaching can understand professional terminology and translate it effectively in both languages.

Many pedagogical and language teaching methodology term dictionaries present the principle of systematization in alphabetical order. Among them is the “Dictionary of Pedagogical Terms,” compiled by Uzbek doctors and professors of pedagogical sciences. This dictionary includes brief explanations of nearly 2,000 concepts related to education and upbringing, with particular attention given to new terms widely used in the field of pedagogy in recent years [6].

The third edition of the “Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics” contains 2,800 terms, while the fourth edition includes 3,500 terms with their explanations. The dictionary encompasses terms related to applied linguistics and language teaching [7].

• 1.    The dictionary includes terms related to the following areas of education in the field of language teaching: teaching methodologies and approaches in language instruction, curriculum and program development, second language acquisition, listening comprehension, speaking, reading comprehension, and writing instruction, computer-assisted language learning, professional development for language teachers, English grammar and pronunciation, language testing, research methods, and basic statistics.

• 2.    The dictionary also contains terms related to the field of applied linguistics. According to the purpose of this book, “applied linguistics” pertains to both theoretical and practical applications of linguistics. It includes terms from the following educational areas: introduction to linguistics, including phonology, phonetics, syntax, semantics, and morphology; discourse analysis; sociolinguistics, including the sociolinguistic and communicative competencies of language; and psycholinguistics, which encompasses learning theories [8].

Another dictionary of English language term is “An A-Z of ELT”. This dictionary also contains terms related to various aspects of language teaching. Studying language teaching terminology involves understanding the concepts represented by these terms and recognizing their interconnections. The dictionary is divided into three main areas: aspects of language, language learning, and teaching. Scott Thornbury has subdivided these areas into smaller sections:

• 1.    Topics related to aspects of language: discourse, pragmatics; functions, concepts including grammar, linguistics, phonology, sociolinguistics (social linguistics), and lexis.

• 2.    Topics related to language learning: psychology, psycholinguistics; second language acquisition.

• 3.    Topics related to language teaching: methodology, professional development, and testing [9].

The dictionary provides not only definitions of terms, but also a summary of key issues related to them, discussions, and practical implications for each concept. In this way, the dictionary also serves an encyclopedic function. Russian terminologists have also developed several dictionaries and encyclopedic references related to linguodidactics. Among them is the “New Dictionary of Methodological Terms and Concepts” by E.G. Azimov and A.N. Shukin. This dictionary includes new terms and concepts from linguodidactics and its core subjects (pedagogy, psychology, psycholinguistics, linguistics, sociology, and cultural studies) [10].

In the “English-Russian Terminological Guide on Foreign Language Teaching Methodology,” created by L. Kolesnikova and O.I. Dolgina, a comparative analysis of the main methodological concepts and terms used in foreign and local linguodidactics is presented. The sections of the guide cover various topics such as teaching methods and approaches, curriculum development, and assessment and evaluation in language teaching. Terms are included in the dictionary based on their frequency of use, practical significance, and relevance. This guide contains approximately 230 lexical articles and provides a comparative analysis of terms related to the theory and practice of foreign language teaching in various countries and Russia [3].

It is worth noting that several specialized dictionaries of terms have been developed in Uzbek. For instance, the “Explanatory Dictionary of Linguistic Terms” (N. Mahkamov, I. Ermatov) includes about 1,500 linguistic terms used in mother tongue textbooks, which have been based on and explained. Each of the aforementioned dictionaries, encyclopedias, and guides has its own systematic structure and principles of dictionary compilation.

After reviewing all the specialized dictionaries mentioned above, a brief overview will be provided regarding the foundational principles of structuring an English-Uzbek textological dictionary of educational methodological terms. The principles of dictionary compilation are a set of rules and principles that define the process of systematically and substantively collecting, classifying, and describing terms in a particular field or language. These principles help make the dictionary more effective and useful. The main principles for compiling an English-Uzbek textological dictionary of educational methodological terms are presented in the following Table [11].

These principles ensure a clear and effective structure for the terminological units during the dictionary compilation process and assist in their application in education, science, or other fields.

The structure of the educational methodological dictionary includes: a) the composition of the dictionary; b) the structure of the dictionary; c) the structure of the dictionary entry; d) the semantic characteristics of the terms; e) the arrangement of term meanings and translation concepts; f) the formation of term combinations; g) illustrative examples; h) grammatical characteristics of the terms; i) the specific field to which the terms pertain [12].

Conclusion and Recommendations: Based on the research, it is important to note that the systematization of English educational methodological terms and their translation and explanation in Uzbek is a significant issue today. Creating an English-Uzbek textological dictionary of educational methodological terms, including the English-Uzbek variants of the terms along with explanations and examples, would be advisable. In conclusion, a forward-looking approach would be to prepare this historical educational-methodological terminological dictionary.

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